“Why are they doing this?” a tiny human female asks. She’s so small she might be a child, but she has the body of a grown woman.
“They are taking over Tajss,” I say. Whispers race through the humans in a soft murmur of gasps and expressions of disbelief or fear. “We must reach the City and do whatever it takes to stop them.”
My treasure walks to me. My breath catches in my throat. My scales tingle, aching for the briefest of her touches.
“You’re serious?” she whispers.
“I am,” I say.
“You’re… Order?” she asks.
A lump forms in my throat making it hard to answer. Am I Order? Or is the Order destroyed? Even if it is, our mission carries on. Tajss must be saved so, no matter what, I am still Order.
“Yes,” I answer.
“Is this all of you?” she asks, looking at the others over her shoulder.
“Yes,” I answer.
“We’re going to need a bigger army.”
7
Calista
“And then he stormed out the door,” I say.
“You’re kidding?” Jolie asks.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t get it. Why can’t he let this go? It almost cost us everything. How can he possibly think it’s a good idea?”
Jolie frowns as she grabs another piece of clothing and dunks it into the tub of cold water. She works the cloth between her hands, rubbing it against itself before pushing it down and working it across the stones at the bottom.
“Do you think he’s scared?” she asks.
“Scared? Of what?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” she shakes her head. “A full invasion? Losing control?”
“It’s not like him,” I say. “I don’t understand what’s happening. He’s acting different.”
“I get it,” she says. “It’s been really tough lately. The lockdown didn’t do anyone any favors.”
“Right?” I sigh taking the wet shirt from her and then laying it out on the hot rocks to dry. “I’m ready for normal.” Jolie laughs. “What?”
“How many years did you think it would take before we started thinking of life on Tajss as ‘normal’?” she asks.
Frowning, I think about it. “Never?”
“Exactly!” she exclaims.
“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Rverre is yelling as she runs up to us.
She skids to a stop in front of Jolie as I scan the area for Illadon. He won’t be far. They’re inseparable.
“What?” Jolie asks.
Rverre holds up a tiny, sparkling rock. “Look!”
“Wow,” Jolie says, examining the rock closely. “That’s really pretty.”
“I know, I found it,” she says. “I’m going to make it into a necklace.”
Illadon appears on top of a large pile of rubble next to one of the broken buildings across the square. Other people are moving around the fountain, the one source of water in the City, on their way to their jobs or hanging out. This has become a central gathering point for everyone who lives here. Illadon is jumping up and down as if he’s trying to tamp down the rocks.
“What is he doing?” I mutter.
“He thinks he can jump up to the second story,” Rverre says. “I told him it was stupid, but he didn’t want to listen to me.”
“Please tell him that if he doesn’t quit, he’s going to be in big trouble,” I say.
“Okay!” she exclaims and runs off in a puff of dust and scrabbling of clawed toes on concrete.
“Slow down!” Jolie yells at her retreating daughter, but it’s a perfunctory order that carries no weight and has the same effect on Rverre—nothing.
“He’s too much like his father,” I grouse. “Stubborn and intent on doing something stupid.”
“I don’t think Ladon intends to do something stupid,” Jolie says. “He’s worried.”
“Why?” I ask, snapping the wet shirt like a whip. “We haven’t seen the Invaders in months. We haven’t even had any Zzlo sightings for a long time. The bivo taming project is progressing, the Tribe has vegetables growing, and the miners are delivering raw material. We’ll be able to fully repair buildings soon.
Our life is good! Why isn’t it good enough for him? What is there to worry about?”
“I don’t know,” Jolie says. “But I feel something too. Amara says Malcolm has been even more morose than usual. It’s why she didn’t bring him out to do laundry with us.”
“I don’t want to be mean,” I say. “But Malcolm is odd.”
“Yeah,” Jolie says. “But he’s also always right. Last time Olivia came to the City, she was saying that Zoe does that thing too, where she knows things there’s no way she could know.”
“I guess we’re the lucky ones,” I say. “Our kids are just… kids.”
Half-alien kids, sure, with scales, tails, and nubby horns, but kids.
“True,” Jolie agrees.
“It doesn’t change the facts either,” I say, returning to my tirade which feels unfinished. I love Ladon with all that I am. The only thing that competes in my heart with him is Illadon, but he’s really irritating me. “Life is good! Look at all we’ve managed to do in such a short time!”
“Hey, I don’t disagree our lives are good,” Jolie says. “I’m playing devil’s advocate for you.”
“I know, sorry,” I say, realizing I’m getting harsh with her. She’s my best friend, and she is trying to help. The least I can do is not be a bitch.
“So he really wanted you to agree to go away with him?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “Leave it all. You, the City, all of it.”
I stretch a wet pair of pants out on the rack.
“That’s it,” Jolie says, rising from her knees and stretching her back. “I think it’s about time for the Council meeting. These should be dry when we get back.”
“Sounds good,” I agree. Turning around I look at where the kids are playing. “Think they’ll be okay?”
Jolie shields her eyes with a hand and frowns. “Yeah.”
“Illadon! I’ll be back after the meetings. Be good!”
Illadon waves from the top of the pile. Rverre climbs up from behind to stand next to him.
“I’ll make sure!” she yells.
Jolie snorts. “That helps.”
“They’ve been fine for the past three hours while we worked, I’m sure they’ll be okay. They always are,” I say.
As we turn to walk toward the Council meeting, I spy Lana and call out to her.
“Yeah?” she asks, a woven basket on her hip and her boy Aeros toddling along beside her.
“Can you keep an eye on the kids?” I ask.
“Sure,” she says. “Where are they?”
I point to where their playing.
“Illadon?” Aeros asks, a smile playing across his tiny, cherubic face.
“Yes,” I smile. “You want to play with him?”